Combined shipping container and display case



Nov. 12, 1957 M. E. SAMUELS ,3

COMBINED SHIPPING CONTAINER AND DISPLAY CASE Filed Oct. 11, 1956 Y///////) l/////////7/A INVENTOR. MOPTON E. SANUELS wax A TTOE/VE Y- United States Patent COMBINED SHIPPING CONTAINER AND DISPLAY CASE Morton E. Samuels, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 11, 1956, Serial'No. 615,255

14 Claims. (Cl. 206-144) This invention relates to containers and in particular to a combined shipping carton and display case.

A primary object of this invention is to provide 'a shipping container which upon arrival at its destination can be attached to a peg-board and converted into a display case.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel wire yoke incorporated into the container and forming -a strut which strengthens the container and attaches it to the peg-board.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing specification and appended drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the container opened and prepared in readiness for display use.

Fig. .2 is a perspective view with parts broken away showing the container in readiness for shipping.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the back of the container afiixed to a peg-board.

Now referring to the drawing in detail: the body of thecontainer is of conventional form and may be made from corrugated cardboard. The top is closed by four cover flaps, 1, 2, 3, 4, flap lhaving aslot 5. Flap 1 is closed first; flap 2 is closed next (it may extend the full length of the top as shown so as to cover flap '1); and flaps 3 and 4 jointly cover flap 2.

The outer surface ofthe carton is printed (e. g. with the adjoining areas of contrasting colors) to indicate a line 6 sloping from the top ,of the container along a side 7 to approximately the .median point on the front corner of side 7,.continuing on a horizontal'lineon front '8 at approximatelymedian height and extending back to the top on the opposite side 7 parallel to the line 6 on side 7.

Toprepare the container for display, .the cover flaps 1,.2,.3,4,are opened and the merchandise contained therein removed. A knife or some other sharp cutting instrument is used to cut along line 6, eliminating the closure flaps with the exception of flap -1 and providing a sloped-front case. r

A metal yoke, indicated generally by the numeral 9, has :two arms 10 and 11 anda double-bent hook 12 'of Z-form at the end of each arm. The arms 10 :and 11 projectthrough a pair of :holes 13 in the lower corners of the back 17, and normally lie flatly on the bottom 16-during shipping. Connecting shaft of the yoke extends outside' of the'container along the lower edge of back 17, and a paper retainer strip .18 holds it against back'17; Yoke connecting shaft 15 is offsetfrom yoke arms 10 and 11 at 14 to allow the armsyto be raised (using connecting shaft 15 as a hinge) to positions :lying closely alongtheinner face of back 17, as shown in Fig; 3.

Theslot 5'in flap l defines the upper portion of a panel for an advertisement 21 describing the contents of the container and is arched so that when flap 1 is folded at the ends of slot 5 along fold lines 2 2 (sh ownin-Fig. 2) the upper portion of the advertisement panel'is left pro- 2,812,852 Patented Nov. 12, 1957 jecting upwardly. The folded flap 1 is moved to a vertical position about hinge-bend 23 which joins it to back 17, and yoke arms 10 and 11 are brought up and the Z-hooks 12 are forcibly pushed past flap 1, in embracing relation thereto, thus locking flap 1 in a vertical position. The container is aflixed to a conventional wall peg-board 24 by tilting the container backwardly and inserting the Z-hooks 12 into holes provided in the peg-board. By their shape, the Z-hooks 12 hold the arms securely when the container is allowed to rest against peg-board 24. The relatively rigid metal arms 10 and '11 resting against back 17 also lend rigidity to the container by reinforcing the cardboard where the bending moments arising from the weight of the supported merchandise and transmitted through sides 7, 7, tend to tear the latter away from the back 17 along the rear corners of the container.

The contents of the container are replaced and the shipping container is now an eye-catching display case. The number of containers which may be attached to a pegboard is limited only by the size of the peg-board, and my invention makes it possible for a store to utilize much needed floor space to much better advantage by having the merchandise displayed along the wall.

I claim:

1. A shipping container and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being hingedly attached to the back side of said container; a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container with Z-shaped hooks on their respective free ends and having a connecting shaft joining their other ends, said shaft being pivotably attached along the lower margin of the back side of said container; and an advertisement printed on said flap and the upperedge of said advertisement defined by the edge of said slot, said flap having folding lines at the ends ofsaid slot and being folded on said folding lines and raised to an upstanding position, with said advertisement projecting upwardly, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps.

2. A shipping container and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being attached to the back side of said container; a rectangular yoke of metal wire having a pair of arms disposed within the container with Z-shaped hooks on their respective free ends and having a connecting shaft joining their other ends, said shaft being pivotably attached along the lower margin of the backside of said container; and an advertisement printed on-said flap and the upper edge of said advertisement delined by the edge of said slot, said flap having folding lines .at the ends of said-slot and being folded on said folding lines and raised to an upstanding position, with said advertisement projecting upwardly, said flap being held in raised positionby lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shapedhooks past the sides of said flaps.

3. In a shipping container and display case having four sides, a-bottom and aflap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being hingedly attached to the back side of said container; a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container with Z-shaped hooks at their respective free ends, said arms normally lying fiat against the bottom during shipping, and .having a shaft extending along the lower margin of said back on its outer side and having bends connecting said shaft to said arms, said bends projecting through apertures in the lower cornersof said back side; and an advertisement printed on said flap and the upper edge of said advertisement defined by the edge of said slot, said flap having folding lines and being folded on said folding linesand raised to an upstanding position, with said advertisement projecting upwardly, said flap being 3 held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps. 4. A shipping carton and display case as described in claim 3, wherein said yoke is fabricated from a single length of metal wire.

5. In a shipping container and display case having four sides, a bottom and an advertisement-bearing flap for covering the top, said flap having a hinge whereby it is attached to the back side of said container; and a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container normally lying flat against the bottom during shipping, having a shaft extending along the lower margin of said back on its outer side and connecting said arms, having Z-shaped hooks on the free ends of said arms, and having on their other ends, portions offset in relation to said connecting shaft joining the same to said arms and projecting through apertures in the lower corners of said back side so as to facilitate lifting of the yoke, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps.

In a combined shipping container and display case: a container body having a front, a back, lateral sides and a bottom; and a rectangular hanger yoke including spaced side arms having Z-hooks at their free ends, and including a shaft and corner bends integrally joining the same to said side arms, said shaft being pivotally attached to said container body at the corner between the bottom and back side thereof, with the side arms disposed within the container body, whereby said yoke may swing from a position wherein said arms lie against said bottom and alongside said lateral sides, to a position extending upwardly in the corners between the lateral sides and the back of the container body, with said Z-hooks projecting above said back for insertion in holes in a peg-board to support the container as a display case.

7. In a combined shipping container and display case as described in claim 6 wherein said shaft extends along the lower outside margin of said container and said corner bends projects through apertures in the lower back corners of said container.

8. In a combined shipping carton and display case as described in claim 7 having an adhesive retainer enclosing and providing a bearing surface for said shaft, and being horizontally afiixed to the container on both sides of the shaft.

9. In a shipping carton and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being attached to the back side of said container; provision made for removing top portions of said container for display purposes; a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container with Z-shaped hooks on their respective free ends and having a connecting shaft joining their other ends, said shaft being pivotably attached along the lower margin of the back side of said container; and an advertisement printed on said flap and the upper edge of said advertisement defined by the edge of said slot, said flap having folding lines and being folded on said folding lines and raised to an upstanding position, with said advertisement projecting upwardly, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps.

10. In a shipping carton and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being attached to the back side of said container; provision made for removing top portions of said container for display purposes; and a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container normally lying flat against the bottom during shipping, having a shaft extending along the lower margin of said back on its outer side and connecting said arms, having Z-shaped hooks on the free ends of said arms, and having ontheir otherends, portions offset in relation to said connecting shaft joining the same to said arms and projecting through apertures in the lower corners of said back side so as to facilitate lifting of the yoke, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps.

11. In a shipping carton and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flaphaving an arched slot and being attached to the back side of said container; a pair of sloping lines printed on the sides adjacent to the back extending with downward and forward inclination from the top of the container at the back to the front corner, and a line joining said sloping lines continuing horizontally across the front of the container, said lines designating cuts to be made to remove parts of said container in preparation for display; a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container with Z-shaped hooks on their respective free ends and having a connecting shaft joining their other ends, said shaft being pivotably attached along the lower margin to the back side of said container; and an advertisement printed on said flap and the upper edge of said advertisement defined by the edge of said slot, said flap having folding lines at the ends of said slot and being folded on said folding lines and raised to an upstanding position, with said advertisement projecting upwardly, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps.

12. In a shipping carton and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being attached to the back side of said container; 21 pair of sloping lines printed on the sides adjacent to the back extending with downward and forward inclination from the top of the container at the back to the front corners, and a line joining said sloping lines continuing horizontally across the front of the container, said lines designating cuts to be made to remove parts of said container in preparation for display; and a rectagular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container normally lying flat against the bottom during shipping, having a shaft extending along the lower margin of said back on its outer side and connecting said arms, having Z-shaped books on the free ends of said arms, and having on their other ends, portions offset in relation to said connecting shaft joining the same to said arms and projecting through apertures in the lower corners of said back side so as to facilitate lifting of the yoke, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps.

13. A shipping container and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being hingedly attached to the back side of said container; a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container with Z-shaped hooks on their respective free ends and having a connecting shaft joining their other ends, said shaft being pivotably attached along the lower margin of the back side of said container; an advertisement printed on said flap and the upper edge of said advertisement defined by the edge of said slot, said flap having folding lines at the ends of said slot and being folded on said folding lines and raised to an upstanding position, with said advertisement projecting upwardly, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said yoke and forcing said Z-shaped hooks past the sides of said flaps; a peg-board having said Z-shaped hooks inserted into holes and afiixing said container to the peg-board thereon, said yoke arms lending rigidity to said container by resting against and reenforcing said back where bending moments arise from the weight of the supported merchandise and are transmitted through the sides tending to tear the container apart.

14. In'a shipping carton and display case having four sides, a bottom and a flap for covering the top, said flap having an arched slot and being attached to the back side of said container; a pair of sloping lines printed on the sides adjacent to the back extending with downward and forward inclination from the top of the container at the back to the front corners, and a line joining said sloping lines continuing horizontally across the front of the container, said lines designating cuts to be made to remove parts of said container in preparation for display; a rectangular yoke having a pair of arms disposed within the container normally lying flat against the bottom during shipping, having a shaft extending along the lower margin of said back on its outer side and connecting said arms,.

having Z-shaped hooks on the free ends of said arms, and having on their other ends, portions offset in relation to said connecting shaft, joining the same to said arms and projecting through apertures in the lower corners of said back side so as to facilitate lifting of the yoke, said flap being held in raised position by lifting the arms of said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,483,289 Doering et al. Feb. 12, 1924 1,800,550 Mahoney Apr. 14, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,096,254 France Jan. 26, 1955 

